


Voted Most Likely...

by ReeLeeV



Series: MX Request Forum Works [44]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Couple goals, High School, Homophobia, M/M, Open requests, Underage Smoking, and piercings, bad boy wonho, bg!showhyung, fighter era hair, fulfilled request, kiho rise, kind of, nerd!kihyun, wonho has tattoos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-02-11 07:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12930627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReeLeeV/pseuds/ReeLeeV
Summary: … to Get Married in Ten Years.Hoseok, the bad boy of the halls, and Kihyun, the president of the student body, are each popular in their school in their own rights. Others look at them in awe, but they have no idea just how much this relationship takes to succeed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by anon as part of a project I'm doing with Druekee called MONSTA X Fanfiction Requests Forum!
> 
> Request: KiHo + highschool AU + bad boy wonho + cool nerd kihyun//couple goals
> 
> Come by our page to leave a request of your own! And, if you're a writer yourself, feel free to check out our requests and write something to submit to the page, if you'd like~ https://mx-requests-forum.tumblr.com/

“You make such a mess, hyung…” Kihyun chastises, reaching quickly for a napkin from his tray to pat at the older boy’s lips. Hoseok merely gives him a pure, lighthearted chuckle, and Kihyun can’t help but smile as well. He retracts his hand to let the older get back to his lunch, which he happily does so judging by how quickly he slurps down the noodles.

Kihyun returns his gaze to his own lunch, only to see their freshman friend, Changkyun, staring at them with a starry gaze.

“You two are so cute, hyung~” Changkyun comments without prompting, earning a knowing chuckle from Kihyun. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose proudly, this having not been the first time he’s been told this. Hyunwoo approaches the table and slides in next to his same-age friend, glancing down at Hoseok’s arm questioningly.

“Got another one?” he asks, eyeing the white gauze around his bicep. Hoseok hums, setting down his chopsticks to pull up his sleeve.

“Yeah, last night,” he replies. “It’s a branch of a cherry blossom tree… to remind me of my Kihyunnie~” He says this as he looks over to Kihyun, an absolutely smitten look painting his face. Kihyun laughs so hard he nearly falls off the bench, his high-pitched yelps echoing through the open-aired courtyard. Changkyun and Jooheon make a retching sound simultaneously, and Minhyuk only rolls his eyes.

“Honestly,” Minhyuk sighs, “aren’t you supposed to be the school bad boy? Come on, hyung, live up to your street cred.” Hoseok nervously chuckles at this, pulling at his cartilage piercing with a ditzy sort-of smile. Kihyun grins fondly at the familiar sight, and does his best not to stare.

“What up, losers,” Hyungwon suddenly greets, taking a perch atop the table. He slings one lanky leg over the other, smiling contentedly at the beautiful weather. Kihyun inhales a steadying breath at this, the younger’s breaching of the rules setting his teeth on edge.

“Wonnie,” Kihyun says before anyone else can chime in, “ _how many times_ have I asked you not to sit on the table?” Hoseok reaches over to set a consoling hand on his knee, and Kihyun feels himself calm down. Though, he honestly would’ve rather stayed mad, as it’d have given him the dedication to keep nagging Hyungwon until he got his scrawny self off the damn table.

“I don’t know,” Hyungwon responds with a listless shrug, “I don’t really listen when you talk~” Jooheon and Changkyun share a chuckle at the typical response, but Hyunwoo only gives him a warning look. Hyungwon notes the gaze, and only sighs in defeat as he descends from his seat and instead sits down in the senior’s lap. Hyunwoo smiles genially at this, wrapping his thick arms around the boy’s thin waist as Hyungwon begins to feed him.

Kihyun watches the scene with a knowing gaze, looking again to his boyfriend of a year. Hoseok messily slurps up his noodles some more, seemingly unaware of the stare as broth splatters across his face.

The junior sighs tiredly, wondering just what he’s done to deserve such a hyung in his life.

 

Hoseok stays back after school, much to Kihyun’s dismay, claiming that he needs to remain behind for some extra study time. He uses the excuse, though, because he knows the younger would never argue with that, being the absolute hard-ass about grades that he is. So now, here he stands, at the back corner of the school, waiting for his appointment.

He hears footsteps approach from behind, and he takes a long drag of his cigarette before dropping it to the ground. He turns round to face the visitor, and blows out the puff of acrid smoke.

“You’re late,” Hoseok states simply, sliding his foot over the butt of the cigarette as he shoves his hands into his leather jacket. Chongsik merely chuckles to himself, the bulky young man’s gaunt face contorting in the most unpleasing of ways.

“Sorry to take up so much of your time,” he comments dryly, though his words are clearly sarcastic. Hoseok only stares wordlessly at him, waiting for the other to get to the point. Chongsik takes the hint, and slings his backpack forward. He zips it open and pulls out a stack of papers, and offers them. Hoseok takes them, and puts them into the messenger bag slung onto his shoulder.

“Anyone see you?” he asks, going for the wallet in his back-pocket, the one he has especially for his business expenses. Chongsik shakes his head adamantly in response. Hoseok takes it out and counts out the appropriate pay, one hundred dollars in cash—an absolute fortune to a high-schooler—and hands it over. Chongsik gladly takes the money and shoves it into his bag haphazardly.

“You know,” the boy says, zipping his backpack up and resituating it on his shoulders, “if that Kihyunnie of yours knew you ran this business, he’d have your head on a pike.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Hoseok tells him bluntly, being sure to throw enough acid into his voice to make the boy shudder. Chongsik throws his hands up, a nervous smile contorting his impossibly thin lips.

“Hey, man, I’m just warning you.” He then shrugs, already backing up. “But, like you said, it’s none of my business. Just don’t bring us down with you when this all backfires.” He then turns on his heel and jogs off, not giving Hoseok a chance to respond.

He releases a long exhale, pushing his blue-tipped white hair back in frustration. Chongsik is right, of course. Kihyun would absolutely _kill_ him if the younger found out what he does with his spare time. But, then again, it isn’t as if he _wants_ to do this. He _has_ to, to keep them all safe from the torment that’s sure to follow his colorful little group without his protection.

With that in mind, he stalks off, away from the building, towards the bleachers circling the football field. There, he’ll meet his last contact, the spokesman for the other side of the status quo.

 

Chaeku is already there waiting for him by the time he gets there, looking incredibly peeved for having been kept waiting. Hoseok has to restrain himself from muttering an apology, reminding himself of how he has to look to these people.

The other boy says nothing. He only holds out the cash, and Hoseok takes it before handing over the answers to the school-wide exams he’d just received. Chaeku takes them and turns to walk away, and Hoseok takes the cue to go on his own merry way, as well. He quickly reaches into his pocket to retrieve another cigarette, very much needing to take the edge off. Even when the exchanges are as quick and quiet as that, they still stress him out to no end.

If something were to go wrong, if he were to so much as _breathe_ wrong in front of Chaeku, he’s sure the deal would be over, and his friends would be open to the bullying they’ve been safe from for the past four years.

After all, seven adolescent boys very much out of the closet are just bait waiting to be picked off one by one, as Chaesuk had so eloquently put it at the beginning of junior year. Hoseok finds himself pulling his bottom lip between his teeth worriedly, playing with his snake-bite piercing with his tongue as he remembers the day he’d been suckered into all this.

It’s almost over, though. He’s managed to make it through the past year like this. He only has to endure this year, as well, and everyone will be home-free. The top tormentors of the school are all seniors, so they won’t be a threat to any of his dongsaengs, and Hoseok can graduate and leave all this behind.

 _Just this year_ , he thinks as he inhales a lung-full of tobacco. _Just this year, and it’ll be over. Just this year, and they’ll all be safe_.


	2. Chapter 2

“You really should start looking at colleges, hyung,” Kihyun nags, glancing between Hyunwoo and his own boyfriend. “I’ve  _ already  _ picked out my top five, and I’m only a junior! What’ll happen if you two graduate without even thinking of life after you walk across that stage to get that empty envelope?? Absolutely nothing, that’s what.”

“Aiiish,” Hyungwon complains, pressing an index finger to each of his temples. “Please, either of you just name a random school to shut him up…  _ Please _ .” Hyunwoo chuckles at his boyfriend’s sour expression, rubbing a consoling circle along the younger’s back. Hoseok laughs along with them, though he remains silent. He doesn’t have the heart to tell the boy that he doesn’t really  _ want _ to go to college. It’s too expensive, and with his utter lack of extracurriculars, there’s no way he’d get any scholarships. It’d just be a big waste of resources, as what he wants to do for a living doesn’t even require a degree.

“I guess we’ll just have to figure out a list for you this weekend~” Kihyun concludes, winking at Hoseok as he speaks. Hoseok gives the younger a knowing smirk, blatantly ignoring the blush on his own cheeks. 

“Jesus,” Minhyuk bemoans, sticking his tongue out in disgust. “You’d think that got you hot or something… No wonder you’re such a hardass for schoolwork.” Kihyun’s sweet gaze immediately turns vicious, and he whirls about to glare at his same-age friend as the tips of his ears blare red.

“Just because I want my boyfriend to succeed in life doesn’t mean I have a work fetish, Minhyuk-ah!!” he outright shouts, earning a handful of curious glances his way. Changkyun snickers under his breath, nudging Jooheon amusedly while the older snickers breathily. Hyungwon only rolls his eyes, hopping off the table and stalking off. Hyunwoo calmly follows after like a well-trained pup, carrying their bags as they go.

“Well…” Minhyuk cackles, his raspy tones echoing through the air, “at first I was just joking, but you were just  _ way _ too defensive!!! Youuu have a work kiiink~” Minhyuk sings tauntingly, poking Kihyun’s shoulder with both his index fingers. Kihyun pushes his same-age friend away from him, straightening his own glasses as he tries to calm down. 

Hoseok watches the whole thing bemusedly. He shakes his head, glancing around casually at the other students milling about. He freezes, though, at seeing a grimly familiar sign on the far wall. He pales, gulping thickly. 

_ Not again. _

“... Hoseok?” 

He glances back to Kihyun, his heartbeat slowing with the memory of that symbol seared into his eyes. The symbol of a tiger’s tail wrapped around a knife, blood dripping from its blade.

Hoseok blinks, trying to shake the image from his mind. He pushes on a smile, shaking his head. 

“Sorry,” he mutters, chuckling breathily. “I just got distracted. What were we saying…?” Kihyun purses his lips, clearly skeptical. It doesn’t surprise the older. After all, Kihyun’s always been able to tell when Hoseok is lying.

“Colleges,” Kihyun finally answers, his tone clipped short as he looks to his home-packed lunch. “I was asking if you at least wanted knew what your major will be.” Hoseok feels Minhyuk’s confused glance on him, though he doesn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he looks back towards the far window, where he’d seen the symbol pushed against the wall, but it isn’t there anymore. 

Typical. They never leave evidence of themselves out long enough to be seen by anyone they don’t want to see.

“Uh… yeah, yeah,” Hoseok mutters in response, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. He tilts his head to the side, the sight of his sweet, perfect boyfriend washing away the sudden fear that had entrapped his heart for that singular moment. “I have some ideas, but I haven’t decided yet.” Kihyun sighs, rolling his eyes and starting to nag him about how he’d be so lost without the younger.

Hoseok hums, unable to keep from faintly agreeing. The conversation flutters on, and Hoseok lets it fully distract him from his own worries. Maybe he’d only  _ thought _ he saw what he did… Maybe it was just a trick of the light, a hallucination brought on by working too hard… That kind of stuff can happen, right? He’s pretty sure he’s heard of that kind of thing before.

 

After school that day, Hoseok goes directly to his mother’s cafe. Kihyun’s with him, and he’s pretty sure his mother’s smile brightens tenfold just at seeing the younger boy.

“Hi, Ms. Lee,” Kihyun greets with a respectful bow, though the woman immediately catapults herself from behind the counter to greet them both with a warm embrace.

“It’s been so long, Kihyunnie!” she says, her voice so overfilled with joy. “You shouldn’t be such a stranger! I told you, our home is your home.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’ve been pretty swamped with school lately… I promise to come by more often!” He says it so sweetly, his signature ear-to-ear grin at full-force on his face. Hoseok feels his love for the younger grow at least twenty times stronger just seeing it.

“Aah,” Hoseok’s mother says, straightening up and setting her hands on her hips, “could you get our tteoki to focus more on his schoolwork? He barely ever does homework on his own, and by now I don’t even know if he’s going to get into a good university!”

“Moooommmm,” Hoseok whines, his cheeks shifting from their typical pale pallor to a deep scarlet. His mother coos, pulling at Hoseok’s cheek before turning on her heel. 

“I’ll leave you two to it,” she says, gesturing towards their usual table in the corner. “Just holler if you need anything.”

“Thank you!” Kihyun calls after her, already going towards the table. He slings his bag off his shoulder and sets it in one of the free chairs, opening it to pull out his Master Notebook. He clicks his pen, flipping the pages until he finds the one he’s looking for. “Now, about this project we have in chemistry—“

“The only chemistry I know is the kind we have for each other~” Hoseok teases, scooting his chair closer to Kihyun on instinct. Kihyun rolls his eyes, hitting Hoseok’s shoulder playfully as he straightens his glasses.

“Keep this up, and I’ll just cancel on our anniversary date next week,” Kihyun teases back. Hoseok’s impish grin immediately falls, instead replaced by a frown through which the world’s most lamented groan falls. 

“Nooooooo,” Hoseok pouts, reaching over to pull Kihyun into a tight embrace to sway him around a bit. “You can’t do that to me, Kihyunnie~!! It’ll just break my heart!!!” Kihyun sighs loudly, though he’s completely relaxed against the older’s chest. Hoseok stills, feeling all too comfortable with Kihyun this close. He deflates in his seat a bit, burying his nose in Kihyun’s soft pink hair and inhaling deeply. His heartbeat picks up ever so slightly, just enough to give him the butterflies. He doesn’t understand how he can still get butterflies for his boyfriend after nearly a year of dating, but he figures it’s just because it’s Kihyun. 

His perfect, sweet, adorable, feisty, pesky, naggy, beautiful Kihyunnie… 

The image he’d seen back in the courtyard flashes against the backs of his eyelids, and he freezes. He tries to explain it away, not see it as it truly is, but it’s hard to deny the truth.

“Hoseokkie?” Kihyun asks, pulling back to stare up into his eyes. Hoseok glances down at him, forcing yet another easygoing smile.

“I-It’s nothing…” he says shyly, not looking at Kihyun’s eyes. He can never lie to Kihyun, especially not when looking into his star-like eyes. Kihyun watches him skeptically, though after a moment he let’s it drop. He fully pulls away, though, pointedly keeping his gaze on his notebook as he starts to talk. He goes on into the original topic, class, and starts listing off possibly topics they can talk about during their presentation. Hoseok interjects where he can, saying he can’t talk about that because he didn’t pay attention during that unit, or that he thinks he remembers this so they could maybe do it.

 

Neither discuss the lie, though it hangs over them like a fog, oppressing their underlying joy and squashing any attempts at humor or fun during their work. Kihyun leaves as soon as they get done, claiming he has to get home to help his mom with dinner, and Hoseok only accepts the excuse.

There’s no reason for him to call Kihyun out on a lie, after all, not when he’s guilty of doing the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by anon as part of a project I'm doing with Druekee called MONSTA X Fanfiction Requests Forum!
> 
> Request: KiHo + highschool AU + bad boy wonho + cool nerd kihyun//couple goals
> 
> Come by our page to leave a request of your own! And, if you're a writer yourself, feel free to check out our requests and write something to submit to the page, if you'd like~ https://mx-requests-forum.tumblr.com/


End file.
